Anyone Here by Jackie Ivie

imaginary woman?”
    “You think he’s capable of imaging her?”
    “She can’t be real.”
    “Well, I want to know why you can’t find that vision of woman on the video feed. I thought you were the best. You can find anything anywhere, encrypted or not. But not her? I think you better try again,” Sam said.
    “And try harder,” Grant added.
    “She can’t possibly be invisible. It’s too unfair to contemplate. Are those breasts real?” Ryan asked.
    “Careful boys. I’m the jealous type,” Jake said, just before shoving in another bite. He was getting warm. Too warm. Making him wonder why he’d donned a turtleneck sweater in the first place. He had passive heat radiating from floors and walls and here he was, wearing a turtleneck. Even knit from Marino wool in the finest gauge imaginable, it was too hot. He yanked it over his head, chucked it across the top of the sofa, and went back to eating.
    “You are not.”
    Jake swallowed and stood, hiked his pants back to just below his waist, and then gestured at the screen behind him. “About her? Guys. Please. Just try me.”
    “All right. No hitting on Jake’s invisible woman. Everyone got that? Now, get me a fresh download of that video feed. Or give me the IP address. I’ll work on a board. Move over.”
    Ryan dropped into a spot beside Daniel, and started shoving a finger along the surface of another mini-screen.
    “You get a fresh dose of inspiration, did you?” Malcolm sent the jibe.
    Ryan flipped him off with a raised middle finger. Left hand. His right hand was busy moving items on the screen. “If that woman is in this feed, I’m finding her. And maybe…just maybe…if I’m really lucky…she’ll have a twin sister.”
    “Screw that. Find triplets,” Sam replied.
    The floor trembled beneath Jake then, sending a murmur of it through him. And then a whisper of sound touched his ear. It was his name. Spoken softly. With that killer accent.
    “Jacob.”
    Jake steadied himself by opening his stance, riding out the sway until it ebbed and then ceased. He sent a glance at his companions. Nothing had altered. They were gathered about Ryan. Watching his machinations on the little screen or looking at Jake’s rendition of Cassandra. Another tremor scored the floor, making it feel like it buckled. He rode out the motion. This was impossible. That didn’t mean it wasn’t happening.
    “Jacob?”
    The whisper got more definitive as if she’d gotten closer. It also carried a worried note, as if he wasn’t standing rooted to the spot, every hair on his body rising to alert status. That’s when he started wondering if she really was a ghost. Or some other metaphysical manifestation that only the weak-minded experienced. And if she was, he started wondering what the hell he’d do about it.
    “Jacob?”
    “Waiting, Babe. Right where you left me.”
    He whispered it, turned slightly, and watched as from the same exact place Ryan came from around the television, Cassandra did. Just like that. Soundlessly. Gliding along the floor toward him, her eyes locked with his as she neared. His heart was like a caged thing, hammering at his chest for escape. His blood was flying through his veins, filling his ears with a high pitched note.
    She was wearing a different outfit, but not by much. The corset-thing strapped to her upper torso was fashioned from jade green satin, the jagged-edged mini skirt from several layers of black lace. She wore thigh-high embroidered stockings this time, and another pair of little ankle boots with buttons up the outsides that looked like they’d been carved from real jade. It closely resembling last night’s ensemble, only with this one she wore a wide-brim hat, complete with black veil. She was breathtaking. She took every bit of his air.
    And then one of his friends finally saw her.

CHAPTER SIX
    This assignment was dealing out firsts. Always before, she’d hunt the target down, lift her veil, crook a finger, and once he came